Snowboarding Nearest to Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Contrary to what some snowboarders might tell you, the Rocky Mountains don't end in Utah or Colorado; they keep right on going down into New Mexico and Arizona. Thanks to its dry atmosphere and inland location, New Mexico boasts some of the lightest, driest powder in the country. If you're visiting Albuquerque, you won't have to travel far to find snowboarding.

Sandia Peak Tramway

Sandia Peak (sandiapeak.com), Albuquerque's ski resort, is connected to the outskirts of the city via a tramway. The 2.7-mile tramway is one of the longest in the world and carries you from the city to the crisp, clean, 10,378-foot peak of Sandia Peak resort. Those using the tram to get to Sandia must have their own equipment because there are no rentals at the tramway entrance. The resort is a 45-minute drive from Albuquerque. At the time of publication, the tramway is open daily during the winter between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., except on Tuesdays when it runs 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sandia Peak Information

Sandia Peak is a modestly sized ski area that offers 200 acres and 30 runs for snowboarding and skiing. Its terrain drops down 1,700 vertical feet. The season runs between December and March at Sandia, and the resort gets 125 inches of snow. It sells full-day, half-day morning and half-day evening tickets. Sandia Peak does not have any runs graded double black diamond. It offers 55 percent intermediate, 35 percent beginner and 10 percent advanced terrain. The Scrapyard Terrain park offers beginner to intermediate level features for snowboarders.

Other Ski Resorts

Although Sandia Peak is Albuquerque's closest snowboarding, the city is also within day-trip distance of other New Mexico resorts. Ski Sante Fe (skisantafe.com) is about 90 minutes north of Albuquerque. It tops out over 12,000 feet and offers 1,725 vertical feet, 74 runs and 225 inches of snow a year. Taos (skitaos.org), New Mexico's most famous resort, is about 2 1/2 hours north of Albuquerque. Taos boasts 1,294 acres, about 300 inches of snow per year and some of New Mexico's -- and the United States' -- most challenging steep runs.

Gear

Because you'll need equipment to take advantage of the Sandia Peak Tramway, you might need to rent gear in Albuquerque. The city offers a variety of rental shops for snowboard gear including Sport Systems (nmsportsystems.com) and Sports Authority (sportsauthority.com). Retailers that don't advertise rentals but do stock ski and snowboard gear inlcude REI (rei.com). If you intend to drive to Sandia Peak, you'll also find rentals at the resort.

About the Author

Joe Fletcher has been a writer since 2002, starting his career in politics and legislation. He has written travel and outdoor recreation articles for a variety of print and online publications, including "Rocky Mountain Magazine" and "Bomb Snow." He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rutgers College.